Refractory brick units



July 14, 1954 L. R. DUNCAN REFRACTORY BRICK UNITS Filed MaIOh 18, 1963INVENTOR.

OP/VIA. @UA/64N ,arrafMi-'y ite te This invention relates to refractorybrick units and particularly of the type having a suspension tab at itsupper end.

For convenience in assembling refractory brick in furnaces varioussuspension means, including a so-called tab, have been employed in brickof a variety of constructions. The time and effort consumed in placingrefractory brick in furnaces during construction and repair of thelatter is an important consideration for the operator of such furnaces.It will be recognized, for example, that the time consumed in the repairof furnace walls is lost time insofar as operation of the furnace isconcerned. Thus, a brick construction which reduces this time loss andfacilitates the assembly of the brick is of real value.

The object of this invention is to provide a brick unit of improvedconstruction which is readily assembled, in a furnace wall. Essentiallythe brick unit of the invention comprises a moulded block of refractorymaterial, a recessed metal plate extending longitudinally of a face ofthe block and at least partially across the central portion of the upperend of the block and at least one recess in the upper end of the blockto expose the edge of the centrally located metal plate.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 isa perspective front view of the unit;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective top view of the unit;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line III-III ofFIGURE 1.

In the drawings, a moulded refractory block 1 has a front or side face2, an upper end face 3 and a metal suspension tab 4 extending partiallyacross the upper end, flush with its surface. Since the tab is used tohang the block, the end to which it is attached is the end of the blockwhich is colder in service. Such an end is commonly referred to as thecold face as distinguished from the hotter end which is exposed to thehigh temperatures of a service environment and which is commonlyreferred to as the hot face in the refractories and metallurgical arts.The side faces 2 and 2A, as shown in the drawings (FIG. 1 shows itbest), can be described as opposed and substantially parallel sidefaces. The tab, which is mounted over the colder end of the block, isgenerally L shaped, as is clearly shown in FIG. l. The tab is narrowerthan the block and has an arm 4A extending downwardly of the front face2, in which it is embedded and anchored by means of refractory materialextending into an opening S formed through the channel 13 and the arm4A. The dashed line circles above and below the opening 5 are intendedas schematically indicative of Welds holding the channel and arm 4Atogether. The upper part or arm 4B of the tab has a recess 6 to receivea hanger element when extending upwardly as shown in FIGURE 2.

In moulding the refractory material into a block, the upper end of theblock is provided with three parallel transverse sections 7, 8 and 9,and With a groove or recess It) between adjacent sections to expose theedges of the tab 4. As shown in FIGURE 3, the opposite side edges ofportion 12 of the suspension tab partly overlie grooves lil, so that asuitable tool can be inserted in one of the grooves and beneath theoverlying edge of the tab to bend the tab up away from the block. Tabportion 12 lies in a depression 11 in the centrally disposed secatertion 8 of the block, thus leaving the top face of the brick lying in asingle plane. This construction facilitates piling and shipping of thebrick units and at the same time makes it easy to bend the portion 12 ofthe tab into vertical position when installing the unit in a furnace.

It will be recognized that-this construction has several advantages andovercomes difficulties in use of this general type of brick. It avoidsthe necessity of chipping away the refractory material in bending thetab into vertical position. As particularly shown in FIG. 2, theconstruction of the central transverse section 8 facilitates lifting ofthe tab and avoids its folding into the end of the refractory blockduring construction of the brick.

The tab member may be made of any desired metal. It is desirable thatthe vertically disposed portion of the tab and the metal channel 13 bemade of an oxidizable metal, like iron, to provide best bonding resultswith the refractory material when the unit is heated in the furnace.Since the member 13 is a channel and is generally U shaped, itaccurately can be described as having an outer web portion 13A whichrests in the side face 2, which web extends between two unidirectionallyextending side pieces or legs 13B and 13C which extend into the body ofthe block. FIGS. 1 and 3 both show this web and leg construction veryclearly.

This is a continuation-in-part of application Serial Number 40,011,filed June 30, 1960, now abandoned.

I claim:

1. In a refractory brick unit:

(A) a block of refractory material,

(l) having at least one pair of opposed, substantially parallel sidefaces,

(2) and having a pair of end faces, a first one being a cold face andthe scond one being a hot face, the hot face and cold face both beingsubstantially perpendicular to the opposed parallel side faces;

(B) a channel-like member,

(l) including a flat web portion and a pair of unidirectionallyextending legs,

(2) fabricated of an oxidizable metal,

(3) being shorter than the opposed side faces,

(4) being mounted substantially centrally through a first of the opposedside faces,

(i) with its legs extending inwardly of the block but terminating shortof the other opposed side face,

(ii) with one of its ends terminating short of the cold face;

(C) a bendable L shaped member,

(1) having a pair of straight arms which join each other atapproximately a angle encompassing an edge of the cold face,

(2) fabricated of an oxidizable metal,

(3) a first arm,

(i) at least a portion of which is mounted along the rst opposed sideface,

(ii) only a portion of which is rigidly held in position by the end ofthe web of the channel-like member which terminates short of the coldface,

(4) the other arm extending from the iirst opposed side facesubstantially centrally across the cold face,

(i) but terminating short of the other opposed side face,

(ii) being narrower than the cold face,

(iii) being embedded in a depression in the cold face,

(iv) its outer face lying in substantially the same plane as the coldface,

(v) means formed therein for hanging the unit;

(D) at least one groove extending across the cold face,

(1) parallel to an edge of the L shaped members arm which is embedded inthe cold face,

(i) exposing that edge.

2. The brick unit of claim 1 in which a major portion of the rst arm ismounted along the rst opposed side face beneath the end of the web ofthe channel-like member which terminates short of the cold face.

3. The brick unit of claim 1 in which there are two parallel groovesformed across the cold face each one eX- l posing an edge of the Lshaped members arrn which extends across the cold face.

4. The brick unit of claim 1 in which the first arrn of the L shapedmember includes means to anchor it to the refractory material of whichthe block is fabricated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,980,646 Vickerilla NOV. 13, 1934 2,653,851 Davidson Sept. 29, 19532,932,265 Heuer Apr. 12, 1960 3,051,101 Heuer Aug. 28, 1962

1. IN A REFRACTORY BRICK UNIT: (A) A BLOCK OF REFRACTORY MATERIAL, (1)HAVING AT LEAST ONE PAIR OF OPPOSED, SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SIDE FACES,(2) AND HAVING A PAIR OF END FACES, A FIRST ONE BEING A COLD FACE ANDTHE SECOND ONE BEING A HOT FACE, THE HOT FACE AND COLD FACE BOTH BEINGSUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE OPPOSED PARALLEL SIDE FACES; (B) ACHANNEL-LIKE MEMBER, (1) INCLUDING A FLAT WEB PORTION AND A PAIR OFUNIDIRECTIONALLY EXTENDING LEGS, (2) FABRICATED OF AN OXIDIZABLE METAL,(3) BEING SHORTER THAN THE OPPOSED SIDE FACES, (4) BEING MOUNTEDSUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY THROUGH A FIRST OF THE OPPOSED SIDE FACES, (I)WITH ITS LEGS EXTENDING INWARDLY OF THE BLOCK BUT TERMINATING SHORT OFTHE OTHER OPPOSED SIDE FACE, (II) WITH ONE OF ITS ENDS TERMINATING SHORTOF THE COLD FACE; (C) A BENDABLE L SHAPED MEMBER, (1) HAVING A PAIR OFSTRAIGHT ARMS WHICH JOIN EACH OTHER AT APPROXIMATELY A 90* ANGLEENCOMPASSING AN EDGE OF THE COLD FACE, (2) FABRICATED OF AN OXIDIZABLEMETAL, (3) A FIRST ARM, (I) AT LEAST A PORTION OF WHICH IS MOUNTED ALONGTHE FIRST OPPOSED SIDE FACE, (II) ONLY A PORTION OF WHICH IS RIGIDLYHELD IN POSITION BY THE END OF THE WEB OF THE CHANNEL-LIKE MEMBER WHICHTERMINATES SHORT OF THE COLD FACE, (4) THE OTHER ARM EXTENDING FROM THEFIRST OPPOSED SIDE FACE SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY ACROSS THE COLD FACE,(I) BUT TERMINATING SHORT OF THE OTHER OPPOSED SIDE FACE, (II) BEINGNARROWER THAN THE COLD FACE, (III) BEING EMBEDDED IN A DEPRESSION IN THECOLD FACE, (IV) ITS OUTER FACE LYING IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME PLANE ASTHE COLD FACE, (V) MEANS FORMED THEREIN FOR HANGING THE UNIT; (D) ATLEAST ONE GROOVE EXTENDING ACROSS THE COLD FACE, (1) PARALLEL TO AN EDGEOF THE L SHAPED MEMBER''S ARM WHICH IS EMBEDDED IN THE COLD FACE, (I)EXPOSING THAT EDGE.